Feelings
by reeyachan
Summary: A brief story narrating Kurapika's indefinite emotions. KurapikaxOC. Shortfic.


**FEELINGS**

A/N: I was reading fanfics to fall asleep, then a sudden crave for writing kept me awake. And poof! it became Cococrunch! XD This is a sudden fic. Sorry for any grammatical errors. It's my first time doing a story straight on the editor. Ayayy! Accomplished. Hope you like it. KurapikaxOC. Please don't bash Reiichi brutally too. Fuhuhu~ It's a whole different setting. And it is so not like me to make a huge change for the sake of writing my own story but I couldn't think of anything better so, spare me the tomatoes? Hihi. *dodges the tomatoes being thrown at me*

Warning: The narrator has less salary so she is doing her best for it to be increased. Thus narrating all the way, nonstop -.- Sorry for the less lines. I was half dreaming already.

DISCLAIMER: Sad to say, I own only the ship and my OC. The rest is Togashi's pride and glory.

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Waves clashed harmonically with the movement of the ship as Reiichi stared, thinking, towards the sea. The night was dark - darker than the usual deep purple and indigo covering the atmosphere. Everything was black except from the ship's single headlight and the bright full moon that lingered on the seabed. She sighed, turned away and sat on the floor of the ship, observing the people around her. She smiled with the sight of Gon and Killua battling it out in their sleep, but grimaced when her gaze passed Leorio who was snoring loudly. She sighed again - of complete content and of sadness, knowing that she might have to leave this bunch someday. Reiichi had been in the Hunter Exam with the rest of the cast, passed, learned Nen, and now they're heading towards Whale Island. It has been Gon's wish, and Killua's demand, for the five of them to go to their precious island together. The little kid wanted to show them where he lived, what Mito-san is like, how the food differs - everything. Quite forced and hesitant in the beginning - except for Killua, of course - everyone agreed. So they went to the port first thing in the morning, and tonight's their first night out in the ocean. The five of them were all awake, and playing cards, and telling ghost stories, and just having fun two hours ago. Now all dozed off. _They must be tired, _Reiichi thought as she laughed inwardly while looking at the sleeping people. She turned her gaze to her front while that smile was still stuck to her face, but the curves of her lips disappeared when she sought someone eyeing her. She froze and was unable to breathe for ten seconds.

Kurapika was observing Reiichi while she smiled and sighed repeatedly. He smiled when their eyes met then wandered back to looking at the endless, black ocean.

The browned-haired 16 year old girl breathed out deeply, but silently, for she didn't want her conscious companion to be curious of something she doesn't know how to explain. She was relieved of the golden-haired boy looking away, but her heart would not stop beating intensely. It would not stop. It's as though her heart will burst out of her chest any second, and that she could not hear anything other than its loud and heavy _thump_. She closed her eyes, held her right fist against her chest, and breathed in and out slowly. It worked. She smiled to her self triumphantly. After minutes of concentrating and breathing calmly and trying to fall asleep, she opened her eyes. Her position, feeling Kurapika's presence on the other side of the deck, the intensity of that presence, her heart, her mind, won't let her sleep at all. She had been with the boy the whole journey since the Hunter exam started and had been sharing conversations that interest the both of them, and she was as closer to him as to Gon, Killua and Leorio, but alone (or at least they are conscious), makes her feel uneasy. She did not want to admit and accept the fact, but the being behind those brown eyes amazes her - romantically. Reiichi groaned mentally and couldn't take any more of the awkwardness and tension only _she_ has been feeling. She decided to speak to him.

_Stunning..._

Kurapika was standing opposite Reiichi on the other side of the deck of the ship - right arm leaning on its wooden railing, face forward, eyes far from the where he is. The bright full moon touched his pale blank face ever so perfectly and made the diamond shaped earring that hanged from his left ear twinkle like the stars. His honey-blonde locks that were swaying softly with the wind stood out from the paleness of his person. The Kuruta had neatly placed his tribal cape beside his bag at his feet and only had his white under garments. Everything shone white and gold for Reiichi. It was like the moon was there primarily to shine on him, to illuminate him. She was observing him - figuring him out. Reiichi was always so curious of Kurapika though she had learned everything about the past of the boy. She wanted to discover him, everything about him and his being. This is the very reason why she could not believe herself loving him. It was stuck to her head that all she wanted was to wait for Kurapika to reveal himself, show them his true colors - his feelings._ "That can't be love"_ she keeps saying._ "It's mere interest."_

Not knowing, Reiichi was staring at Kurapika's distant eyes. The sea water that sparkled because of the moon and the headlight reflected on his irises and she began to read him. Kurapika's eyes were now of calm, thoughtful brown - the usual look on his face whenever, Reiichi thinks, he was having fun with them - that same thoughtful brown that made her smile everyday. She smiled, but it instantly faded when the blonde's eyes were becoming of the shade of red, slowly appearing, slowly disappearing. It was like they were breathing together with his lungs. She saw his pale right hand, though slightly covered by his own shadow, clench into a fist. Reiichi turned her gaze to the blonde's other hand - his fingers were clenched as well. She was alarmed, thinking that her friend might throw himself off the ship to let his soul ascend to his brothers. She waited. Kurapika then closed his eyes. Reiichi supposed he was calming himself and she was right. By the time the Kuruta opened his eyes, they were back to normal and his fingers were more relazed. Reiichi sighed, relieved. There was a change, though, in the eyes of her observatory. They sparkled not with great satisfaction nor ease, but with sorrow and agony. They looked lonely. It was as though those eyes were communicating to someone from afar, telling those someones how badly these eyes miss their beings, how badly these eyes yearn for their company, how badly these eyes want to see them, how heavy these eyes cried for them, and how intensely these eyes crave to bring them back. How melancholy they looked inside that solitude. They were moist and sparkling, but with grieve.

A person like her, Reiichi thought, could not grasp the mysteries that lie beyond her blonde friend's eyes. They were indefinite. But she could feel every single emotion - she was happy when he looked happy, she was worried when looked troubled, and she was lonely when he looked disheartened - with every blink he makes. It was as though she could, and _would_ feel for him. Reiichi's heart ached with awe. She unintentionally shed a tear and she sobbed continuously - and continuously fought against herself to control the salty water and the audible sobs coming from her eyes and throat.

She heard a sweep of a heel turning then a couple of fast steps running towards her, as she tried hard to keep her breathing normal while wiping her face.

"What happened?"

Her observatory finally spoke, calm and quiet.

Without getting a response, Kurapika leaned closer to Reiichi to see her face. He failed. It was too dark and a great shadow was covering them up - and Reiichi's curled brown locks from her temples were covering her face. With worried, furrowed eyebrows and concerned eyes, the Kuruta waited in front of his companion, sitting with his left leg bent, his knee touching the floor, balance supported by his right foot. He had assumed that his observer (not knowing that she was observing him), had a very bad dream, so he waited until she was fully conscious.

The brown-haired damsel could not stop crying. She wished Kurapika would go away - not that she didn't want him there, but because he is seeing that she is like this, weak, defenseless, a girl - because her companion might sell something to trigger her eagerness to comfort his lonely eyes earlier. Yes, that was the reason of her tears: the loneliness and emptiness she saw through her friend's eyes.

Becoming alarmed with the situation and because he did not know what to do about these kinds of things, Kurapika held Reiichi's clenched fists, forcefully, from her face, to ask her what happened. Reiichi, with handcuffed wrists, looked away and tried her best to hide her face with her hair. Kurapika's fingers twitched, hesitating, thinking if it would be an appropriate thing to do if he would brush her hair from her face and wipe her tears with his own hands. He did not proceed for his companion is now looking at him, with moist eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

No one talked.

They just stared straight at each others' eyes - one trying to read thoughts and the other searching for an answer.

Reiichi found what she was looking for and just as instantly, she wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, destroying his balance. Luckily, his arms supported him.

Kurapika sat, surprised and confused about the sudden assault. He blinked and mumbled a shaky "W-What are you doing?" as kindly as he could, so as to not sound offensive. Reiichi is a friend after all.

Tight slim arms fastened the grip as Reiichi bury her face on Kurapika's neck. She sobbed again, remembering that heartbreaking look on her observatory's eyes.

The Kuruta, surprisingly, did not find the embrace irritating, he find it warm and pleasing. He had never felt such since he lost all his friends five years ago. Speechless, only a silent "H-Hey..." came out of his lips.

"Kurapika..."

The faint voice of his companion calling him straight behind his ears made Kurapika's heart skip a beat and pound hard. He breathed in deeply. He waited.

"I'm sorry a hug is all I can afford to offer right now," Reiichi whispered between sobs.

Kurapika's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" he whispered back.

"You looked so lonely while looking out at the sea. It's b-" She almost said _it's breaking my heart_ but halted. "It's worrying. I've never seen you so lonely. I've never seen anyone that lonely before. I couldn't bear to think of how Gon, Killua, and Leorio would look like when they are lonely." Reiichi paused. She has spoken too much and has mentioned the word 'lonely' a couple of times. She wanted to explain, but couldn't. Truth is, she wanted to comfort him, to take away the pain he was feeling, to wash away all the loneliness, and to fill that emptiness with her own being. He is a friend, and right now, as a friend, this is her way of expressing those and she knew she was right.

At that time, Kurapika did not still return the embrace. The palm of his hands just rested on the floor. "You cried because you saw that I was lonely?" he asked carefully.

A nod was the answer.

The Kuruta let out a silent chuckle. "That is the most juvenile reason I have ever heard."

"You needed it."

"..."

There was a pause, a long one that is. Kurapika started to move and it signalled Reiichi that she should get off of him now and repent for the rest of her life. But before she could unlock her arms, Kurapika pulled her from her back and sank his face on her left shoulder. She blinked as the embraced grew tighter. She felt his one hand on her back and the other on her waist.

"Arigato, Reiichi," was the whisper that triggered her heart to pound even harder than earlier.

The brown-haired damsel ran her palm comfortingly against Kurapika's back. "No problem. What are friends for, right?" She smiled and she knew her companion was smiling too. Though her last question struck a core in her, she was glad that it has turned out like this. She felt at ease, for her friend finally gave himself something he sought to not seek from anybody - comfort.

The night was dark still, but the adjusted moon soon reflected on the ardent unadulterated embrace with the sound of each hearts' beating with unfathomable emotions.

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I should mention everyone who sent their reviews on my first two fics on the next one. It should be another humor fic, as you wish, my friends. XD Thank you! No humor this time, though. Please review. Oh, please do :') Arigato, ne!


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